World Development Information Day / 24 October, 2017

Established on 19 December, 1972 by the United NationsGeneral Assembly, World Development Information Day will be observed around the world on 24 October, 2017.

Proclamation of the annual event was timed to coincide with the celebration of United Nations’ Day; its main objective is to draw the attention to the world’s public-opinion on developmental problems facing countries and governments.

24 October was also recognized as a date on which the International Development Strategy for the Second Nations Development Decade was adopted in 1970.

Apart from the problem-finding goal, there’s also a clarion call for nations to unite in finding lasting solutions.

The idea of finding measures for information dissemination and mobilization of public opinion on trade and development issues was first raised during the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on May 17, 1972, and was later adopted as resolution 3038 (XXVII), which the UN General Assembly passed on December 19, 1972.

Through the resolution, UN Assembly highlighted “development” as the core of its work.

Previous celebrations have had their titles slightly changed to suit pressing needs. One of the most recent topics was on the roles of Information Technology such as mobile phones and the Internet toward providing workable solutions to problems of trade and development.

“Information and communications technologies have the potential to provide new solutions to development challenges, particularly in the context of globalization, and can foster economic growth, competitiveness, access to information and knowledge, poverty eradication and social inclusion,”read the General Assembly Resolution (A/RES/65/141)

On 24 October, 1973 the UN held its first World Development Information Day, which has since been an annual event.